<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>a smoke made with the fume of sighs by Amymone</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28695156">a smoke made with the fume of sighs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amymone/pseuds/Amymone'>Amymone</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Based on the 1996 movie, M/M, Romeo + Juliet AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:08:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28695156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amymone/pseuds/Amymone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>My only love sprung from my only hate.</p><p>Basically, the Romeo + Juliet AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>104</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A thousand bright, colorful, glorious explosions in the night sky. Johnny is watching them, leaning against a rusty prop in the amusement park, the chain mail of his fake armor feeling heavy and cool against his skin. It is a beautiful night. The air hangs around him in the Valley Beach with the smell of salt and smoke. A night of wonders, of exhilaration and of forbidden things. And love.</p><p>It is a night of love.</p><p>Tommy is screaming something incoherent, shooting his gun into the air, dressed in a weird barbarian costume, his chest bare, a horned helmet on his head. Jimmy joins him, tartan skirt, similar dumb helmet and a sword in his hand. </p><p>Dutch pulls up in his costume, all laughs and promiscuous moves. He is dressed as a twenty-dollar hooker, glittered skirt that barely covers anything and matching bra. He works the high heels well, though he stumbles once in the sand. He goes over to Johnny and pulls the invitation out of his crotch.</p><p>There’s a song playing in the distance and Dutch sings along.</p><p>
  <em>Young hearts beat fast</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Driving down the road</em>
</p><p>‘Dutch and friends’ the invitation says.</p><p>And above that, the bright red header, just a name.</p><p>LaRusso</p><p>“Ali and you.” Dutch says dangling the invitation in front of his face and Johnny laughs, grabbing it.</p><p>“Come Johnny, dance with us.” Dutch urges him on.</p><p>Johnny takes a couple of steps back, the invitation still in his hand.“You know I don’t dance.”</p><p>“How can you say that, man. You are a lover. You are going to borrow Cupid’s wings and soar with them above all of us.”</p><p>Johnny rests his head against the fake ancient columns. “I’m not soaring anywhere. I sink under love’s heavy burden,” he sighs.</p><p>“Love is a burden?” Dutch questions. “I thought love was tender.”</p><p>Johnny shakes his head. “Love’s is rough. And it pricks like a thorn.”</p><p>“If love’s rough with you then you should be rough with love as well.” Dutch says and drags Johnny to the car.</p><p>But Johnny shakes himself free from his grip. “I am not going. I had a dream last night.”</p><p>“You <em>are</em> going.” Dutch says. “You just need a little fairy dust,” and he shoves a small, silver box in Johnny’s face. Dutch opens it with one finger and takes out a small, white pill with a red heart pierced by an arrow on it.</p><p>Dutch has already taken his, Johnny assumes, because he goes on a raving about Queen Mab of the Fairies and ends his speech with a boisterous cry to the heavens.</p><p>Another firework explodes.</p><p>“Come on, Johnny. Ali is going to be there. And we are going to arrive late.” Bobby says, too fitting in his monk outfit, and makes his way through the sand to their car.</p><p>“I still have a wrong feeling about this night.” Johnny says and swallows the pill.</p><p>The LaRusso mansion is packed with all kinds of degenerate guests.</p><p>Lucille LaRusso, the matriarch of the LaRusso crime family is in the middle of the frantic crowd, dressed as Cleopatra in a gold, scaly thing. Johnny doesn’t let her fool him though. He knows how dangerous that woman is, how lethal and ruthless. Come to think of it her choice of costume couldn't be more appropriate.</p><p>And Johnny's head is spinning, from the ecstasy and the flashy lights and the knowledge that he's here, in his enemy's house, drinking their drinks and eating their food and at any given moment his shirt could become soaked in blood. It's terrifying and arousing at the same time.</p><p>So he finds the men's restrooms and dives his face in the sink. When he's done, he throws his silver mask in the water and looks at this reflection in the lush mirror. He quickly snaps his head around. There isn't a wall to divide the men's restrooms from the lobby but this otherworldly aquarium.</p><p>It's so mesmerizing, his blue eyes are watching the luminescent little fish and the white, spongy corals and right there in the middle of it all, two spots of the sweetest brown he's ever seen.</p><p>His head jerks back in surprise. There is a boy looking at him from the other side of the aquarium. His face looks so young and soft, his lips full and pink.</p><p>He’s dressed in a white gi, but he has tampered with it a little, Johnny thinks, because it’s sleeveless, just like their own, and there is a v shape in the front, exposing his smooth chest. A long, silver chain hangs from his neck upon his olive skin, with a small cross at the end of it. He wears a white headband with a weird, blue shape, perhaps a lotus?</p><p>And on his back there are two soft, white, angelic wings.</p><p>Johnny is starstruck.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. Inspired by the <a href="https://dumpsterbab.tumblr.com/post/639599270156255232/ralph-just-validated-this-au-by-comparing">lovely</a> <a href="https://dumpsterbab.tumblr.com/post/640094996943536128/someone-actually-wrote-a-fic-aaaa-aaa">artwork</a> by <a href="https://dumpsterbab.tumblr.com/">dumpsterbab</a> on tumblr<br/>2. Also, it is based solely on the 1996 movie (but not with the Shakespearean talk). I can't read Shakespeare again to save my life.<br/>3. The title and the summary are quotes from the play</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The boy is smiling at him. He’s still looking at Johnny through the aquarium, but he’s so close now, Johnny feels he could just rub his nose against his round, blushed cheek if he leaned just a little--His nose taps against the cold glass and they both laugh.</p><p>Who is he? Wonders Johnny. He pretty much knows everyone in the Valley Beach.</p><p>They stay there for a long moment, just staring at each other, transfixed by the radiant flowing of the water and the colorful combinations of the little fish and the blue and brown of their own eyes.</p><p>“Daniel-san! Your mother is calling for you.” A small man, probably in his sixties, comes rushing to the boy’s side, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the exit.</p><p>He spins around and gives Johnny a last, wonderful, with-all-his-teeth-showing smile. Johnny is out of the door in an instant, trailing after them.</p><p>The man is actually really agile for his age and Johnny fears he’s going to lose them in the huddled crowd.</p><p>But just as he spots again two feathery tips, his eyes roam to someone else.</p><p>Oh shit.</p><p>That bastard Louie catches sight of him. Sparkly red devil’s horns on his head, his face contorted with rage upon seeing Johnny there in the middle of the LaRusso sanctuary.</p><p>He speaks indignantly with his lackeys, skull make up all over their faces, in their skeleton costumes.</p><p>Louie's surging towards him and Johnny is not ready for a confrontation. Not now. Not when he has to keep following the boy.</p><p>It’s actually Lucille that accommodates Johnny. She stops Louie in his tracks, resting a manicured hand on his shoulder. They exchange angry words before she lifts her hand and strikes him. Oh, he could rejoice for days thinking of Louie’s pathetic expression. But he has to find the boy. Louie doesn’t seem eager to charge at him anymore so his path is clear.</p><p>Johnny pushes again through the crowd, through harlequins and marquises, through jesters and pirates and then--</p><p>And then there he is. In another man’s company. A really tall, big man, maybe even bigger than Johnny, with a long face and a sort of manic gleam in his eyes. He is dressed in an astronaut’s suit, his black hair slicked back in a tight ponytail. But Johnny doesn’t care about him. He just stares at the boy; Daniel was it, right? That’s what the old man called him?</p><p>The fucking astronaut is talking to him, spewing words after words after words at Daniel who has an exasperated expression on his face. Johnny tries really hard to mentally order him into casting his glance at his direction.</p><p>
  <em>Just look at me</em>
</p><p>And Daniel does. He flicks his gaze towards him and for a moment his eyes widen and then the corners of his mouth curl up and his teeth are showing again and Johnny can't get enough of them.</p><p>The other man is still trying to get his attention and Daniel humors him but his eyes search for Johnny every three seconds, his smile only visible when it mirrors Johnny’s.</p><p>“And I thought I knew love—” Johnny whispers to himself.</p><p>The ponytail guy thinks he’s being funny and chuckles to himself and Daniel tries his best to snicker along but it’s more like he’s laughing <em>at</em> him with Johnny as his silent accomplice.</p><p>When finally, the jerk goes away, at the beck and call of Lucille LaRusso to stand by her side and Daniel is left momentarily alone, Johnny thinks it’s now or never.</p><p>He steps out from behind this column he has been hiding for the last minutes and grasps Daniel’s hand, dragging him away with him.</p><p>When they are at a respectable distance from any meddling guests the boy, Daniel, looks at their interlinked hands, his eyes two wide, black pools.</p><p>“Sorry.” Johnny says releasing him. “Did I hurt you?”</p><p>Daniel shakes his head. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. You just touched me, that’s all.”</p><p>And yes, he did touch him. And although he only laid eyes on this boy not even a whole hour ago, Johnny would like to touch him again. To find out if those lips of his are as soft as they seem. He is so surprised. Never before, has he thought such things for someone he's just met.</p><p>They are standing in front of the golden elevator doors, the LaRusso sigil, a crane nesting on a peculiar tree, engraved into them.</p><p>Then a shrill voice rings through the air, approaching them.</p><p>“Oh fuck, my mother!” Exclaims Daniel and pushes Johnny inside the golden cage.</p><p>“Why are you hiding from her?” Johnny asks when they are safe inside, the doors closed behind them.</p><p>Daniel shrugs. “She just wants to make me socialize and be nice to people I don’t know and I’m just not like that. I sort of hate this kind of thing.”</p><p>“Like that dickhead in that ridiculous suit?”</p><p>Daniel chuckles. “Yeah. Exactly like that.”</p><p>“Who is he?”</p><p>“Just an asshole my mother wants me to hang out with. Apparently, he’s crazy rich or something.”</p><p>Johnny nods in understanding. He too has been forced to entertain guests more often than not.</p><p>“What is your name, anyway?” Daniel asks him.</p><p>“Johnny.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Johnny. I’m-”</p><p>“Daniel.” Johnny cuts him off.</p><p>“Um, yeah. How did you know that?”</p><p>“That old man called you that. Or something like that.”</p><p>“Oh yeah, he called me Daniel-san. He’s from Okinawa.” Daniel explains.</p><p>“Who is he?”</p><p>“Just a family friend.” Daniel says. And adds almost immediately. “And my karate teacher.”</p><p>Johnny’s mouth drops to the floor.</p><p>“You are learning karate?”</p><p>“Yeah-” Daniel says and his hand makes a circling gesture at himself, pointing at his outfit.</p><p>Johnny laughs. “I thought that's just a costume.”</p><p>“So, you aren’t really a knight then?” There’s a playful tone in Daniel’s voice.</p><p>Johnny takes a step closer to him.</p><p>“Why? Are you in need of saving?”</p><p>“Yes. Please.” Daniel breathes. “Save me from this dull dance.”</p><p>They are so close now; Johnny can see the bare part of Daniel’s chest rising up and down. Up and down in long, shallow breaths and his mouth is open and Johnny’s head is still spinning but it’s not from the drugs anymore and he wants to just close the remaining distance, to just touch him again, but everything’s happening so freaking fast--</p><p>“I do karate too.” Johnny suddenly blurts out.</p><p>Daniel’s eyes lighten up and become even bigger if that is physically possible.</p><p>The golden doors burst open and the same small man grabs Daniel and drags him away from Johnny. Again.</p><p>“Your mother awaits for you, Daniel-san.”</p><p>And Johnny follows them. Again. They go up the huge staircase and Daniel goes to stand beside this woman with—</p><p>With the golden dress, the wig, the cat's eyes make up. Daniel stands by the side of Johnny’s greatest enemy. The cocksucking astronaut is there too. The air suddenly feels inadequate in his lungs. Not enough to sustain him in order not to collapse on the floor from the sudden realization. But of course, how could he have been so stupid? Still, he needs to let the words out of his mouth to make them a reality.</p><p>“Is he a LaRusso?”</p><p>But he can see the old man, leaning to Daniel’s ear, whispering and Johnny can make out what he’s saying from the movements of his mouth.</p><p>
  <em>He’s a Lawrence. The only son of your great enemy.</em>
</p><p>Daniel just looks at him, and there’s so much sorrow in his features. He looks surprised and confused and heartbroken. Their hearts broke before they got a chance to beat against each other in their adjoining chests.</p><p>And then he’s running away from the old man and presses himself against the railing to get a last good look at Johnny.</p><p>And Johnny is just standing there, at the bottom of the stairs, between the golden siren statues feeling like they lured him with their songs of fervent desire to his doom.</p><p>Dutch is clutching his arm hard, screaming in his ear, trying to lift his voice above the loud clatter from the crowd. “We have to go, man! It’s not safe anymore.”</p><p>It will never be safe anymore, thinks Johnny.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. Uhm. So. Mr. Miyagi is the Nurse in this. Yup, that’s what’s happening here. (Please don’t hate me.)<br/>2. I tried to adjust my writing for this, because this is a karate version of Romeo and Juliet (and what are YOU doing on this fine quarantine), so tell me what you think!<br/>3. Also the soundtrack of the movie is really good! Biiig Lawrusso vibes in a lot of the songs. There's even a cover version of the 1976 song 'Young Hearts Run Free' but I replaced it in the first chapter with the Karate Kid 'Young Hearts.'</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dutch is dragging him outside of the crowded hall and into the clear night air. Johnny needs to breath deeply; his lungs still feel empty after the revelation. His eyes are traveling all over the mansion walls where a winged figure can be seen from the large windows, running across the hallways.</p><p>They manage to reclaim their smuggled guns. The security guards are on their case instantly but Dutch sways his hips, trying to placate them. They just came here to have a little fun. Johnny isn’t really paying attention at all that, though. When they are out of the huge, bedecked gate, Johnny’s chest feels tighter as he spares a last, desperate look up above.</p><p>But then. There he is again. Daniel is looking at him from the adorned balcony, his gaze fixed on Johnny’s. Just as the guys are shoving him inside their car, Daniel rushes back inside only to reemerge from another balcony that allows him to have a better view of Johnny.</p><p>They stare at each other for what feels like eternity. Daniel’s lips are moving and he’s too far away for Johnny to actually read what he’s saying. But he guesses it goes something like this:</p><p>
  <em>My only love sprung from my only hate</em>
</p><p>It’s in Johnny’s mind too.</p><p>He’s still looking at the other boy when the car starts and they are slowly making their way out of their enemy’s nest. Johnny can spot Louie coming out of the gate, his enraged gaze upon them.</p><p>“I’m a pretty piece of flesh, I am.” The guys are screaming into the night. Tommy, next to him, keeps grabbing his crotch and moving his hips up and down, in such a sultry manner that’s utterly in contrast to the mixture of delight and despondence that Johnny’s night has been.</p><p>And then he’s out of the car, running, making his way back to the mansion. He can hear the guys screaming his name but he doesn’t falter; he has to do this for the sake of his own sanity.</p><p>“You’re crazy, man! Crazy!” Dutch shouts at his retreating back. When he can’t hear his yelling anymore, Johnny imagines they left him behind. Good. He doesn’t want to drag them into their damnation too.</p><p>He climbs the garden wall and plops heavily into the other side. The lights all go on when he’s inside causing him almost to fall into the LaRussos' pool. He tries to hide in a dark corner, where he hopes the surveillance system won’t find him. There is also light coming from most of the windows now and Johnny wonders which room is Daniel’s. Maybe if he could climb the trellis to the terrace, he could peek inside the rooms and find out.</p><p>The glass door above him opens up abruptly and Johnny almost falls. It’s the old man from before, again. What did Daniel call him? Miyaji or something. He takes a look around but doesn’t spot Johnny. Or at least he doesn’t seem to.</p><p>With a grunt the old man goes back inside and Johnny can finally breath again. Not for long though because the golden elevator doors burst open and out comes Daniel, still in his karate angel costume. He’s ditched the wings though. Maybe their former interaction has caused his fall.</p><p>Johnny just stays there, hanging from the trellis as Daniel ventures outside, walking dangerously close to him, mumbling to himself.</p><p>He can’t really make out what he’s saying under his breath, but it sounds almost like Johnny’s name. Repeatedly. Then Daniel takes a few steps closer, his back still turned to him, and he’s more coherent now.</p><p>
  <em>Goddammit</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why did he have to be a Lawrence? Does it matter? Of course, it matters</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ma is going to kill me</em>
</p><p>He’s a few feet away from him now, any time he’s going to turn around and spot him.</p><p>Okay, he has to make his presence known. He climbs down and silently approaches Daniel from behind.</p><p>“Hey--” he says as he taps Daniel gently on his shoulder. Daniel shrieks and they fall into the pool. Seriously, how is nobody coming for them yet?</p><p>They meet underwater. Daniel’s wide eyes make him look like one of the fishes they were watching together earlier.</p><p>Whey they reemerge for air, Daniel coughs and looks at him with all the worry of the world in his eyes.</p><p>“What are you doing here, man? You are a Lawrence, right? You shouldn’t be here! It’s dangerous!”</p><p>“I’m not afraid of your family if that’s what you mean,” Johnny says a little too loudly than he should have. “Besides, I wanted to see you again. Didn’t finish our conversation.”</p><p>They hear the jangling of a door opening and Daniel is pushing him below the water again, under the stony arch. Johnny tries to clutch at his leg to steady himself, attempting to will his lungs into holding on a little longer.</p><p>When he feels a slight tug on his arm, he comes up coughing and spitting out water. Daniel puts his hands on his shoulders to gently guide him back under their unseen place and Johnny suddenly doesn’t care about silly things like air and oxygen.</p><p>“They’ll kill you if they find you here, man.”</p><p>“Don’t be so dramatic.” Johnny says just to dismiss the fact that it’s true.</p><p>“You are crazy.” Daniel exclaims with a small smile on his face. Why does everybody keep telling him that?</p><p>But Daniel's smile slowly fades away and he’s raising his eyebrows as if he’s contemplating something.</p><p>“Did anyone put you up to this?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Are you here to kill me or something?”</p><p>Johnny looks at him, aghast. And then he throws his head back and bursts into laughter.</p><p>Daniel groans. “Shut up!”</p><p>Johnny brings his hand to his eyes, rubbing them with his fingers. “No, no. I just wanted to come, that’s all. Daniel, I swear.”</p><p>That earns him another smile after a while of Daniel staring at him suspiciously.</p><p>“You don’t have to swear, Johnny. I believe you.”</p><p>The pool lights illuminate the waters around them in a way that reminds Johnny of their first encounter during this wild night when they locked eyes across a fish tank. He still remembers how Daniel glowed like there was this invisible, blazing halo around his face. Like he was the sun.</p><p>Now Daniel’s face is wet, a few water drops gather on his long eyelashes, and he’s still wearing the lotus headband.</p><p>His eyes are, honest to god, sparkling. Like he's the moon and the stars.</p><p>Johnny can’t help himself. He leans in and kisses him.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>